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Christian Pulisic of the United States.

Christian Pulisic will miss the United States men’s national team’s pivotal World Cup Group D match against Australia on Friday after failing to recover in time from a left calf injury.

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the decision hours before kickoff, saying the team’s captain had made encouraging progress but was not ready to return.

“Christian is not available,” Pochettino told FOX Sports. “The feelings are good. Yes, hope that as soon as possible he can be ready to be selected again and to be part of the team.”

The announcement officially sidelines the Americans’ biggest star for one of their most important group-stage matches. A victory over Australia would put the United States in an excellent position to advance to the knockout rounds after opening the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

Christian Pulisic’s Calf Injury Forces USMNT Change

Pulisic initially injured his left calf during training last week and aggravated the issue during the first half of the Americans’ World Cup opener against Paraguay.

The AC Milan star was substituted at halftime and spent the entire week training individually while the team’s medical staff monitored his recovery.

Pochettino said the decision was particularly difficult because of Pulisic’s desire to play.

“Of course, a little bit sad because he wanted to stay, he wanted to participate today,” Pochettino said.

The coach had praised Pulisic’s mentality during his Thursday media availability, saying the 27-year-old was making a “massive effort” to be available against Australia.

Why Pulisic’s Absence Matters

Few players are more important to their national team than Pulisic is to the United States.

Former USMNT coach Bob Bradley recently described Pulisic’s ability to drift both inside and outside as a unique weapon that creates problems for opposing defenses.

The captain’s creativity, dribbling and ability to unlock defenses have made him the face of American soccer for nearly a decade.

The United States still possesses attacking depth, but replacing Pulisic’s influence is nearly impossible.

Who Could Replace Christian Pulisic?

Pochettino now must reshape his attack against an Australian side that will present a physical and organized challenge.

Giovanni Reyna is a leading candidate for a larger role after scoring against Paraguay. Timothy Weah, Alejandro Zendejas and Brenden Aaronson also could see increased minutes.

Ricardo Pepi is expected to start, according to FOX Sports.

The Americans demonstrated against Paraguay that they can generate goals without Pulisic on the field, but doing so against Australia without their captain raises the degree of difficulty.

Focus Shifts to Turkey

The news is not entirely negative for the United States.

Pochettino’s comments suggest the injury is improving rather than worsening, keeping open the possibility that Pulisic could return for the Americans’ final Group D match against Turkey.

For now, however, the United States must navigate a critical World Cup test without its captain, while Pulisic watches from the sidelines hoping his recovery progresses quickly enough to rejoin the team before the group stage concludes.